“People have been up in middle of night”: New Zealand coach Stead comments on the team’s challenge with adjusting to jet lag.

(Reuters)

Gary Stead, the head coach of New Zealand, acknowledged that the team has been focusing on acclimating to the new timezone as they ready themselves for their first match of the T20 World Cup against Afghanistan.

New Zealand is among the teams commencing their campaign later than others. They aim to gather additional information about the Guyana pitch ahead of their opening clash.

Despite their efforts to bolster the team ahead of the match, New Zealand has faced challenges with training sessions being disrupted by rain. As per ESPNcricinfo, the team has only managed to complete two full training sessions. Additionally, some New Zealand players who participated in the Indian Premier League playoffs joined the squad late, resulting in jetlag for a few of them.

“You don’t always get ideal [situations] when people are coming from all over the world. And one of the things we have found here is jetlag probably hits you a little bit hard. I know a number of people have been up in the middle of the night, which isn’t great for your preparation, but thankfully we have enough time leading in being the 14th game of the tournament that guys can sort that out,” Stead told reporters as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.

Stead further disclosed that New Zealand’s 15-member squad is in optimal physical condition. Finn Allen, the aggressive opener, has recovered from a back injury that sidelined him during the Pakistan series.

“He’s progressing well, has taken a full part in training so at this stage, touch wood, we are 100 per cent with no injuries,” he said.

Stead and his team likely monitored the Afghanistan vs. Uganda match closely. With New Zealand set to play Afghanistan on the same pitch, he believes they have the flexibility to select a playing XI capable of adapting to any conditions.

“We’ve tried to select a group of guys who we think are adaptable and can adapt to the different roles and situations in the match. When you look at our squad it’s been the strength of a number of players in the past, working out what par is on any given pitch,” he added.

New Zealand T20 WC squad: Kane Williamson , Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

Travelling Reserve: Ben Sears.